A New Beginning
by LadyBauer
Summary: Tony and Michelle - the early days. I know it's been done but I never get tired of it. Hopefully you feel the same! Complete! Thanks for the reviews.
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: I do not own 24 or any of the characters in it so there is no need to sue.**

**Some mild love scenes later on but nothing too fancy because I'm too chicken to go all Danielle Steele!**

**Harmless little Tony/Michelle fic I thought up. Usual thing. Them coming together after season 2. For some reason I never get tired of thinking about how they got together! Still waiting for the finale over here and I haven't read any spoilers so I'm fully aware that one or both of them maybe dead by now, but hey.**

**I still have my season box sets!**

"Hey Jack." Michelle said as she raised her head wearily.

Jack perched on the edge of her desk and looked at her with some concern.

"Michelle, you look…."

"Like crap? Go ahead, insult me." She said sarcastically as he shook his head.

"I was gonna say tired, smartass."

"Don't worry; I'm going home once the new shift finishes their briefing." She sighed rubbing the back of her neck. "Anyway, I could ask why you are still here. Would it be to make sure that a certain Miss Warner gets a thorough debriefing?" She said smiling at him as he squirmed.

"I, um. Ok fair enough." He got up to leave.

Michelle laughed as she watched him go. She'd only known Jack for less than a day but the fact that they could already sass each other like that meant that they had the potential to be great friends.

As she watched Jack climb the stairs to Tony's office she sighed and began to pack up. She had made all the moves that she was willing to make. The rest was up to him. She hoped that he wouldn't wait too long as she remembered back to their kiss.

Tony motioned to Jack to come in as he talked on the phone. His face had annoyance all over it so Jack guessed that it had to be someone from division. He smiled and sank down onto the sofa.

"Yes sir I'm sure you are. Well I really can't take the credit for something that George started a long time ago. Yes sir, I will. Thank you, sir. Goodbye."

Tony slammed the phone down and leaned back in his chair. He looked at Jack and they both said at the same time.

"Asshole." They both laughed.

"What's up Jack?"

"Just to let you know that I'm taking Kim home now so is there anything you need from me before I go?"

"Nope, you go on home. I'll bet the two of you could use the time together."

Jack nodded and sighed wistfully. As he got up he looked down on the floor and noticed Michelle about to leave.

"Are you going to let her go home by herself?"

Tony got up and looked down. He sighed at how beautiful she was. He couldn't get her off his mind but he was so unsure of what to do.

"I don't know Jack. My track record with the females hasn't been great."

Jack sighed, knowing what he was referring to.

"You can't let your experience with Nina rule your life. Look how Michelle came through for us today. I personally think we'd never have made it without her."

Jack noticed the way Tony was looking at her and he stepped back and folded his arms. Tony turned to look at him.

"What?"

"Are you holding out on me buddy?"

"Huh?"

"Something happened between you guys today, didn't it?" Jack said gleefully. Tony looked down at the floor, turning red and Jack nodded his head.

"A-ha, I knew it! Come on spill."

"All right." Tony said in defeat. "Earlier, she asked me out. Then later on we were both a little strung out and she was upset. I hugged her and we ended up kissing."

"Wow. That's cool. So uh, on a scale of one to ten how was it?"

"I don't know about scales but it was really intense."

"So what are you still doing up here?" Jack said before leaving. Tony watched her say goodbye to people and leave. He couldn't leave for another hour but he knew he wanted to be with her.


	2. Chapter 2

Later in the day, Michelle was driving home from the gym at around 6pm. She had tried and failed to relax or sleep and so she resolved to just try and completely tire herself out. As she parked her dark SUV and got out she flinched at the pain her limbs were now in. She hoped she'd done enough to just collapse as soon as she got in. She closed the door behind her and dropped her keys on the table. As she made her way to the bedroom there was a knock at the door.

She cursed out loud and made her way back to the door. As she looked through the peephole she couldn't quite believe who was standing on the other side. It was Tony, looking gorgeous and there she was in her ripped jogging pants and old t-shirt.; all sweaty and gross. He knocked again and she knew she had to open it.

"Hey!" She exclaimed as she opened the door. He watched her tired eyes come alive when her smile reached them.

"Come in." He could tell she was a little embarrassed by her appearance but he thought she looked adorable. He immediately realised that she'd gone to the gym in an effort to exhaust herself and it had probably worked. He felt awkward but she had somehow relaxed and motioned for him to sit down.

"I took a wild guess of what you'd like to drink." He handed her a bottle of Jack Daniels and he knew he'd made the right choice as her eyes continued to light up.

She took the bottle and went into the kitchen to retrieve some glasses. Coming back out she frowned slightly and Tony's heart nearly stopped.

"Would you mind if I jumped into the shower quickly? I just came back from the gym and I'm a little uncomfortable."

He puffed out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and smiled at her.

"Do you want me to go?"

"No, no I don't really I don't! I just would like to be comfortable to sit with you."

He was surprised by how urgently she didn't want him to go but also really pleased.

"Ok well, I'll just watch TV till you're done. Hey, take as long as you like ok? I'm in no hurry."

She smiled as she made her way over to the bedroom. She heard the TV go on and he melted into the sofa. Looking back at him he seemed like he belonged there.

About half an hour later she joined him on the sofa and he shut his eyes briefly as her scent drifted over him.

He flicked off the TV set and poured them both a drink from the bottle he'd brought.

"Thanks." She said taking the glass from him. She folded her legs underneath her and turned to face him. As they sipped their drinks there was silence for a few moments and finally Tony spoke.

"So, how are you doing?"

"Ok I think. It probably won't hit me until much later. That's why I went to the gym. If I start to think about everything, you know…"

She trailed off and he could see the pain etched on her face as she looked down at her glass. He hesitantly reached out for her hand and when she didn't object he held it gently. She smiled softly and looked up at him.

"This day has been a little overwhelming huh?" She said, immediately realising that to be the understatement of the century.

"I'm glad we….well that we came out into the open about how we feel." He said carefully giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"So am I. So when are you taking me out then?"

He laughed at her and smiled.

"What about tomorrow night?"

"Ok. You can pick me up at around seven." At the end of the sentence she had to yawn as she'd been holding it back for a long time.

He smiled affectionately at her as she rubbed her eyes. Setting his glass down he stood up and pulled her up into a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and he gently stroked her hair. She sighed contentedly and buried her face in his shirt.

"Listen, I'm going to go and let you get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow at work ok?"

She mumbled ok into his chest, not ready to let him go yet and he chuckled softly holding her a little tighter for a few seconds and then gently pulling her back. He stroked her cheek and kissed her on the forehead. She led him over to the door and opened it. He smiled and went to walk out but he seemed to change his mind. Turning back he scooped her up in his arms and planted a kiss on her that made her dizzy.

It was more intense than their first but more relaxed. He let her go and this time he left, blowing her a kiss as he got into the car. As he drove away he laughed because she was still standing in the doorway of her apartment in total shock.

The next day at work was full of long looks and shy smiles. He was amazed nobody said anything. It was like he was walking on air; he felt wonderful. However, a talk with Chappelle soon altered his mood and he gathered everyone together on the floor.

"All right guys, I know you're all busy but I just wanted to let you know that before we go off on our much needed leave the day after tomorrow there will be a service for everyone we lost. It's tomorrow at 3pm and aside from a skeleton staff we can all go."

He took another breath and looked around at Michelle. Her eyes were sad but they encouraged him to go on.

"I know that there has been a lot going on and Mr Chappelle has asked me to remind you all that counselling is available to anyone who wants it. That's all thanks."

He made his way to the break room to get himself together. As he absently poured himself a cup of coffee he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Michelle asked him, searching his face for confirmation.

He nodded patting her shoulder in return.

"I have to speak at the service. You know, give a brief memorial to George."

"Do you want some help with it?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

"No thanks, I've pretty much figured out what I wanted to say already but…" He took a step towards her and took her hand.

"Could I sit next to you? I know I won't be able to hold your hand or anything but I'll just feel so much better if you're near by."

She smiled at him, trying to hold back the tears at hearing how much he needed her.

"Of course." Squeezing his hand she tried to think of something to say to change the subject.

"Do you still want to go out tonight?"

"Completely; don't you worry about that darlin." He said smiling as she blushed at being called darlin.

He picked up his cup and reluctantly let go of his hand.

"Seven, don't be late!" He said over his shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Michelle could have cried as she stood in front of her closet. She didn't know where they were going and she wasn't sure what to wear. She had to look great because he always did.

She finally decided on some casual but smart jeans and a nice shirt with her leather jacket. She was just putting on her lip gloss as there was a knock on the door. She looked at the clock and smiled. He was right on time as usual.

She bounded across the room and tried to calm down before she opened the door. There he was in dark jeans, a crisp white shirt and a leather jacket. He looked at her and they both laughed. They had practically synchronised dress senses. He shrugged and produced some flowers that he had been holding behind his back.

"Thank you, they're lovely." She said taking them from him and leaning forward to smell them.

"I'll just put them in some water and then we can go." He came into the kitchen as she arranged the flowers in a vase.

"What do you think?" She said showing them to him before setting them in the centre of the table.

"I think you're amazing. And I think I'm going to die if I don't kiss you right now."

He crossed the room and swept her up in his arms, looking at her for a moment before he kissed her. When he pulled back and kissed her forehead she smiled and said,

"You know, if you want me to fully function as a human being it's not a good idea to kiss me like that before we go out."

He smiled and raised his eyebrows at her before taking her hand and leading her out to the car. He held her hand the whole way to the restaurant and he was the perfect gentleman; opening doors and holding out her chair. Although she never expected he'd be anything less it still made her feel really special.

Throughout dinner they talked about their families and their childhoods. He watched with affection as she ate her way through a huge piece of chocolate cake.

"You want some coffee?"

"No thanks. How about we take a walk and try and burn some of this dinner off?"

"That sounds good to me." He smiled as he tried to catch the waiter's attention.

They walked out into the night and headed into the nearby park. Almost immediately Michelle took his hand and held onto it tightly. He couldn't stop smiling. Here she was, the woman of his dreams holding his hand. Even though this was the happiest he had ever been he couldn't help but think about tomorrow.

Michelle sensed the change in his mood and stopped. Turning to him she instinctively hugged him. He was surprised but soon relaxed into the hug.

"What's this for?" He said.

"This is what I wanted to do earlier in the break room. You looked so vulnerable then and all I wanted to do was hold you."

He smiled and held her tighter.

The next day the CTU employees and some representatives from division filed into the war memorial park across the street where chairs had been set up ready for the service of remembrance. As they crossed the street in a crowd, Michelle took Tony's hand briefly and gave it a squeeze to comfort him; he looked at her gratefully with tears in his eyes.

They sat down next to each other and listened as different people talked about their fallen friends and co-workers. Finally it was Tony's turn. Glancing at Michelle he got up and made his way to the podium.

Michelle shed some tears before he even started to talk and she suddenly felt a hand on her back. Turning around slowly she saw Jack offering her his handkerchief. She smiled at him and took it, turning back to listen to Tony.

"As you all know, George Mason was a man of few words so I'm going to stick to the facts as he would have. When he began to get sick he battled bravely through his debilitating symptoms to continue to do his job. He never complained and he never once asked why this had happened to him. He saw it as simply his duty to see us all through the hard times. I know he's probably looking down on us right now telling me to stop talking crap about him and get back to work."

There was soft laughter from everyone and Tony had to fight hard to hold back his emotions.

"But he deserves our recognition and respect for what he did. Not just because he spent his life serving his country but also because he made the supreme sacrifice for it and made it possible for the rest of us to go on with our lives. Although it's hard to go on without him and everyone else that died that day we owe it to them to do so; because if we don't, then they will have died for nothing. So we will go on and do our jobs and make all of them proud of us, as we will always be proud of them and keep them in our hearts forever."

He came back down and sat beside Michelle, as Jack patted him lightly on the back. It was then time for a minute's silence. As they bowed their heads, in a gesture of unity, everyone joined hands. Tony and Michelle were grateful for this as they needed to hold onto each other, now more than ever.

The rest of the day at work was solemn. Later on as they prepared to leave, Tony caught Michelle as she was shutting down her computer.

"Hey."

"Hey, how are you?" She asked looking into his eyes.

"Ok. Glad that's over." She nodded.

"Listen I have to stay here for a few more hours but would it be okay if I call you later? We can talk some."

"Sure. You can call me anytime, I hope you know that." She smiled and he stood for a moment unsure of what to do with everyone watching.

Finally, seeing his dilemma she walked past him, discreetly brushing her knuckles against his and smiled back at him before walking away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Small love scene in this but it's not going to set the world on fire!**

Chapter 4

Later she watched the clock pass midnight and he still hadn't called. She sighed turning the television off and crawled into bed. As she lay there in the dark she couldn't help but worry about him. He had been working such long hours lately but at least they all had 6 days vacation now.

She was woken up at around 2am by someone pounding on her door. She got up and rubbed her face to try and wake up. If it was those kids from down the hall she was definitely telling their mother this time. But she opened the door to a dishevelled Tony. Somewhere along the line it had started to rain and he was soaked through.

"Hey! Come in."

He walked into the living room and stood there dripping until she brought him a towel.

"What happened? Have you been working all this time?"

He dried off and sat down beside her on the sofa taking her hand. He just needed to touch her.

"I went home a few hours ago but I couldn't sleep so I got in my car and came over here."

She squeezed his hand and moved a little closer to him. She took in his scent as he put his arm around her. She realised that she'd never wanted anyone this much before in her life.

"Do you want to stay?" She asked.

"I don't know, I mean you were sleeping and…" He shifted uncomfortably.

"Maybe I should have said that I want you to stay." She said with confidence she never knew she had.

Tony was a little surprised but he got over it and said,

"Lead the way."

As they walked towards the bedroom he didn't know what was about to happen but he knew that he wanted her too badly to try and slow things down.

They stood beside the bed for a second awkwardly and then she began to undo the buttons on his shirt. He shivered with the cold and her touch. As she slid the shirt off his back his skin felt cold so she rubbed her hands all over his chest and back. He smiled and took her face in his hands placing a sweet kiss on her lips. He kissed down her neck and collarbone as she hung onto him tightly.

He gently put her arms up over her head, allowing him to take her t-shirt off. She shivered as it fell to the floor as she was now totally naked but he took her up in his arms and hugged her, trying to calm her nerves, even though he was shaking like a leaf.

They shed the rest of his clothes slowly and got under the covers. Michelle lost all track of time in what they were doing. They simply kissed and caressed each other for hours and finally fell asleep in each others arms. As they woke up with the sunlight streaming into her bedroom Tony held her tight and kissed her as she opened her eyes.

"Morning." He smiled at her as she stroked his face. "I'm going to cook you an amazing breakfast." He said, getting up but she pulled him back and shifted so that she was underneath him.

He knew looking into her eyes exactly what she wanted. She wanted to do what they hadn't done last night. He was unsure if they were ready but they both seemed to want it so badly it seemed worthless to try and reason with passion.

As if she was asking him she raised her body up into his, pressing against him. That was all the invitation he needed. He gently eased her legs apart and settled in between them. Looking into each other's eyes the whole time their movements were slow and tender, holding each other tightly.

After their release Tony rolled onto his back and pulled her to him tightly, not ready to let her go of her. He stroked her face as her breathing levelled out and deepened as she fell asleep. He looked at her and smiled. Her face was a flushed after the effort she'd just made and her hair had been tossed every way after he had been touching it. He gently smoothed it back and sighed. He didn't know how things got any better than this, he thought to himself as he slowly fell asleep too.

When he woke up she wasn't there and he sat up, looking around.

"Chelle?" He said, getting up. He pulled on his boxers and padded out into the kitchen where she was preparing a tray. He stood and looked at her for a second with a huge smile on his face.

She was wearing his shirt and she looked extremely hot in it. He moved forward silently and slipped his arms around her waist.

"Hey gorgeous. I thought I was cooking breakfast?"

"Well, you were but I woke up first and decided to buy it instead."

He spun her around and looked at her.

"You went out in that?" He said gesturing to his shirt which he could happily see down into as he leaned forward, confirming that she was still naked underneath.

She smiled both at the face he was making and the fact that she could feel his excitement rising against her.

"No, I got dressed and went to the deli on the corner. Then I came back and put this on again because I didn't feel like fully getting up yet."

He nodded at her and leaned down to kiss her neck, lifting her up slightly.

"Well, then let's take this magnificent feast back to bed girl."

She pulled away from him and handed him the tray before sauntering back to the bedroom before him. Their coffee had to be reheated a several times.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

At 7pm they were still in bed and Michelle noticed that Tony seemed to be in pain. As they watched a movie he grimaced once in a while and tried to shift without her noticing.

"Tony are you all right?" She said as he got up.

"Um, yeah, fine." He said as he walked over to the bathroom.

"The fact that you're limping tells me you're not." She said flatly, looking down her nose at him.

He rolled his eyes as he came back to bed and said,

"All right, my ankle is giving me some trouble that's all. The doctor gave me some pills to take and I just took one so don't give me any grief." He said smiling at her.

"Don't give you any grief huh?" She said as she rolled on top of him and tried to pin him down.

"I'll give you plenty of grief Almeida." He shook his head.

"Oh please." In one swift movement he caught the small of her back and the back of her neck and turned the tables on her.

Looking down at her as he pinned her arms above her head he smiled at her as she struggled.

"Now you're my prisoner." He laughed mischievously and began to kiss her.

She shook her head at first but eventually gave in and stopped struggling. Once she did he freed her hands and she wrapped them around him tightly as his tongue wrestled with hers.

"We're missing the movie." She said absently as he kissed his way down her stomach.

A second later the movie was forgotten and all Tony could hear was her saying his name over and over again.

As she drifted off into a blissful sleep Michelle was startled when Tony jumped up, pulling his arm from underneath her and ran into the bathroom. She sat up in alarm and heard him being sick. She got up, pulling his shirt on and went into the bathroom where he was leaning over the toilet.

"I'm alright, really." He managed to say before being sick again. She shook her head and went over to him. He shrunk away from her at first but she leaned around him and felt his forehead.

"My God, Tony you're burning up!" She exclaimed. She went over to the dresser where he'd set the bottle of pills the doctor had given him. She picked them up to examine them. Seeing Tony emerge from the bathroom she helped him back into bed. Covering him over as he was now shaking she went into the bathroom and came back with a damp washcloth which she folded and wiped his face and chest.

He smiled weakly at her as she picked up the phone. She called the doctor at CTU that had prescribed the painkillers that Tony had taken. Still she held the washcloth to his face as the shaking subsided.

"Dr Kendrick? It's Michelle Dessler. I needed to ask you a question. Do you remember treating Director Almeida for his injured ankle? You do? Well, he has just taken the painkillers you gave him for the first time and he's been throwing up ever since. His temperature's through the roof."

He smiled, listening to her talk. A few moments ago when the wave of nausea had came over him he couldn't have been more embarrassed at puking his guts up in front of her. Seeing her take care of him like this and the fact that she instantly seemed to know what had caused his sickness had only strengthened his love for her.

Michelle listened patiently to the doctor as she stroked Tony's hair gently. She nodded slowly.

"I see so I just keep doing what I'm doing and he should be all right? That's good to hear, thank you doctor. I will goodbye."

She hung up the phone and sighed.

"You're going to be all right. Your temperature should come down in a little while and then you should try to eat something. He said that you've taken some kind of reaction to the painkillers he gave you so he's having someone bring over different pills that should be fine for you to take."

Tony raised his eyebrows.

"Someone's coming here?"

"It'll just be Baker; apparently he passes here on his way home so he volunteered to drop them off. Don't worry; he thinks they are for me."

He tried to sit up a little faster than he should have.

"It's not that I'm ashamed of you….." He said, his hand going to his head.

"I know." She said gently pushing him back down again and stroking his arm reassuringly.

She got up and went through to the kitchen. She busied herself making him some toast. She was glad he was only in need of simple food. If his recovery had required an entire meal she would have really been in trouble.

She opened the door to Baker, realising too late about the fact that she was wearing Tony's shirt. She prayed Baker didn't pay attention to such details.

"Hey, listen thanks for doing this I really appreciate it."

"No problem Michelle. Anything for Tony."

Michelle started to say something but he held up his hand, shaking his head.

"Michelle, I think it's great. Your secret's safe with me."

She smiled as he stepped away. He turned back and smiled,

"It's safe with a few other people too."

She shook her head and shut the door. She put the pills on the tray and brought it into Tony.

He sat up a little when he saw her coming in and smiled. She let out a little sigh of relief as she set the tray down on his lap. She was so glad to see that he was better.

"Thank you baby." He said, touching her face briefly as she bent down.

Settling beside him she happily watched him eat his toast. She was thinking how she'd like him being there all the time to become a regular thing. By the smile he gave her back he would like nothing better either.

She caught him looking at her a certain way. Turning her head slightly she said,

"What honey?"

"You know, " He said, wiping his mouth clean. "I feel like a shower."

She nodded at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Leaning forward and kissing him firmly she pulled back and said,

"Meet you in the shower in like 10 seconds?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After a night of what Tony like to describe as torrid love making they lay intertwined and exhausted the next morning. They were just looking at each other after waking up when Tony's cell phone rang. They both groaned

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed as he felt around on the floor for it.

"Almeida." He said in annoyance, pulling Michelle back against him.

"Hey man, it's Jack. What's up with the mood? I guess you're not a morning person huh?"

Tony stiffened a little upon hearing Jack's voice, and then relaxed.

"Oh, um sorry I just woke up."

"Uh- huh. Anyway a bunch of us are heading out tonight to get drunk so how about it? Oh and tell Michelle she is invited too of course."

"Well sure, I mean if I see her." Tony said uncomfortably and Michelle smiled as she was close enough to hear both sides of the conversation.

"Yeah, so we're meeting at Madison's for about 8pm. I guess you and Michelle will be arriving together."

"Jack, I um…."

"Tony give it up, she's lying so close to you I can practically hear her breathing."

Michelle laughed out loud and that and they both knew they were busted.

Although his last comment had been a lucky guess; Jack sighed and shook his head. "Oh kids, when will you ever learn that nothing gets past Jack Bauer?"

Kim walked past him to the refrigerator and muttered, "You got that right."

"So, I'll see you later, that is of course if you can drag yourselves out of bed!"

Jack hung up and smiled, folding his arms at his breakfast table while Kim fussed over him. He knew exactly where Tony had headed for last night after work and he wanted the satisfaction of making him squirm about it.

Tony shook his head in despair.

They got up reluctantly to start their day. After the amazing breakfast that Tony had promised, there was a knock at the door.

"I guess I'd better put some clothes on." Tony said sauntering past her in his boxers.

She laughed and patted his backside as she made her way to the door. She smiled as she saw who was on the other side of it and flung the door open to reveal her best friend Gaby.

"Hey girl!" Gaby exclaimed, enveloping Michelle in a hug. "I was so worried about you! Are you doing okay?"

"I'm fine. Honestly, we've got six days off now so I have plenty of time to recover."

Gaby came in discarding her coat and bag and flopping down on the sofa. Michelle sat down beside her glancing at the closed bedroom door. She wondered how to tell her friend that Tony was in there. Suddenly Gaby looked around and then back at Michelle.

"I smell a man."

Michelle was taken aback and looked at her in shock. Gaby got up and sniffed the air.

"Gaby, what do you mean you can smell a man. Where you previously a basset hound?"

Gaby smiled and stood over Michelle.

"I mean, I smell cologne and something I can't quite put my finger on. Do you have a man in here?"

Tony listened on the other side of the door trying to contain his laughter and trying to picture Michelle's face.

"Gaby, listen…"

At that moment the bedroom door opened and Tony appeared. Gaby looked both triumphant and shocked that she was right. She looked back at Michelle and raised her eyebrows. They stood awkwardly for a moment before Tony offered Gaby his hand.

"Hi, I'm Tony. You must be Gaby."

Gaby took Tony's hand and smiled warmly.

"That's right, and you must be the famous Tony."

Tony looked at Michelle who was ten shades of embarrassed. He nodded and grabbed his keys from the table.

"I'm going to go pick up a few things at my place. I'll see you in a little while?" He said, looking at Michelle.

She nodded and got up, following him to the door as Gaby sat down again. She handed him a key from her set. She looked a little embarrassed but he smiled at her lovingly, taking it and putting it in his pocket.

He gave her a soft and gentle kiss before turning back and saying,

"It was nice to meet you Gaby."

"Oh, it was great meeting you too." She replied still with a huge grin on her face.

She watched with interest as Michelle watched him go with a look of longing on her face. She sighed shutting the door and sat back down next to Gaby who looked like she was about to burst.

"He is not at all like I pictured him! I thought he was going to be some kind of Adonis. I mean don't get me wrong, there's sex oozing from him but I pictured him loving himself. He's really nice. And did you get a load of that ass! What am I taking about; you've probably had a handful of it all night."

Michelle shook her head as Gaby babbled animatedly. Finally she took a breath and said,

"Ok, so tell me everything and don't leave anything out! The last I heard you had totally fell for this guy but hadn't got up the courage to do anything about it and now you guys are red hot lovers?"

Michelle smiled and took a breath.

"Well, after that day we had at work we realised that we felt the same way about each other. I was so tired and drained and he was sweet and gave me a hug. Then I kissed him…."

"Hold on, you kissed him? Michelle Dessler never makes the first move."

"That was after I had already asked him out." She said smiling as Gaby looked even more confused.

"Look, the thing is we went on a date the night before last and had a great time and then we attended a memorial service yesterday. Tony arrived at my door at like 2am and I asked him to stay."

She said breaking into a small smile.

"Ah hah!" Gaby said triumphantly.

"What do you mean ah hah?"

"That's the other thing I can smell……Sex."

Michelle gasped and wrinkled her nose in disgust as Gaby laughed.

Gaby turned her head and patted Michelle's hand. She was happy to see Michelle this excited about the man she'd liked for a long time. She had watched one loser after another stamp all over Michelle's confidence and she was glad to see that it was back with a vengeance after spending two days with Tony. She knew he had to be pretty special to bring out the best in Michelle.

"Listen honey, I'm just glad to see you so happy. It's been a while since that light's been in your eyes." She leaned in closer to Michelle.

"Actually I don't think I've ever seen that particular light in your eyes. This guy must be pretty special."

"He is." Michelle replied without hesitation. "Gaby, I'm in love with him and miraculously, he's in love with me." She said biting her lip.

"Not miraculously. Of course he's in love with you. You're wonderful!"

Gaby smiled and pulled her into a hug, glad that not only was her friend safe but that she had finally found the love she'd been searching for.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As Tony drove back to her place just before 6pm, he was struck by how much being away from her for such a short time hurt him. He had only left at 1pm. He shook his head and smiled. He had turned overnight into one of those guys who ate, slept and breathed their girlfriends; and he loved it. He knew from their conversations that she hadn't seen Gaby in a while and he wanted to give her some time with her to catch up. Even though he was pretty sure that he would be the main topic of conversation by the look on Gaby's face.

He ran some errands and picked up some clothes for the next few nights. He thought he might be being a little presumptuous but then he knew it would be alright. He hoped that she was having the same pangs that he was. By the look on her face when he left the apartment, she was.

He let himself in with the key she'd given him and went into the bedroom. He dropped his bag on the floor as he looked at her. She was standing in front of the mirror putting on her makeup. She was wearing a simple black dress with a split in it and her hair fell around her shoulders. He walked towards her and whistled as he put his arms around her waist.

"You look really sexy baby."

She smiled and looked at him in the mirror. She spun around to face him and he took her face in his hands, kissing her passionately. She pushed him back until his legs met the end of the bed and they fell onto it; giggling like teenagers. He rolled over on top of her and kissed down her neck.

"You're going to wrinkle my dress! You've already messed up my make up."

"You're the one who pushed me on the bed senorita; I'm just following your lead."

She sat up and kissed him on the end of his nose, sliding out of his grasp and back over to the mirror again.

"It's dangerous to get a guy all riled up like that you know." She raised her eyebrows at him.

He sighed and took his shirt off, taking his bag into the bathroom.

He stepped out of the shower and began setting out his shaving things when she gasped and rushed up to him.

"What?" He said, alarmed.

"Don't shave! You look so hot with stubble. I forbid you." She took the razor out of his hand and put it back in his wash bag as he stood with his arms folded.

"You forbid me?" He said, raising his eyebrows at her. "So that's how it's going to be?"

She sat up on the counter in front of him and nodded with a huge smile on her face. He tried to stand in between her legs but she held them shut giggling. He finally just threw her over his shoulder and slapped her behind as he carried her into the bedroom. Ignoring her squeals he set her down on the bed but on her way down she grabbed the towel which he had wrapped around his waist leaving him totally naked.

She started laughing uncontrollably.

"Michelle! The curtains are open; the entire city can see me naked!" He said blushing slightly as he wrestled the towel from her grasp and ran back into the bathroom. As he shut the door she shouted after him.

"Don't shave!"


	8. Chapter 8

**The song is Bryan Adams – Heaven. Couldn't resist putting it in as I've just seen him in concert and he was amazing! And in case he's reading this I don't own the song either so he doesn't have to sue. But he is free to call me any time!**

As they entered the club together and began to see people they knew they couldn't help but notice everyone giving them "the look".

It was clear that Jack and or Baker had obviously saved them the trouble of telling everyone.

"Hey over here you guys!" Jack shouted, motioning to them through the throng of people.

Michelle went first and Tony laid his hand on the small of her back. Jack had a huge grin on his face as he shook Tony's hand. Pulling him closer he whispered,

"So I guess there was a lot of traffic huh? Being that it is now 8.45 and I told you we'd be meeting for 8."

Tony simply shrugged and sat down, stretching his arm around Michelle.

"No, there was no traffic."

Baker grinned at them both and disappeared to order them some drinks, Tony squeezed Michelle's hand and smiled at her. They had decided that tonight was as good a time as any to 'come out' as a couple. Michelle had been nervous about it in the taxi on the way there but Tony calmed her by telling her that it didn't matter what anyone else thought or said. It was only them that mattered.

The night was rowdy and loud as everyone blew off the steam they'd been holding in for days. Every so often they'd all remember who wasn't there but they got through it by telling funny stories.

"Hey Tony." Jack was swaying slightly as he tried to focus on his friend. "Who ordered the party pooper?"

Tony frowned and turned around to see Chappelle coming down the stairs. He felt Michelle stiffen under his arm but he kissed her bare shoulder and smiled reassuringly at her. He didn't care. He knew that he'd walk away from this job in a minute if that's what it took to be with her.

"Bauer." Chappelle said, eyeing Jack carefully. To Tony it was a similar look that his dad used to give him and his brothers when he suspected they were drunk. He was clearly not used to seeing everyone in a social setting and he was incredibly uncomfortable.

Knowing the mood Jack was in, Tony and Michelle were afraid of what he might say to Ryan.

"Aw, Ryan old buddy, sit down and have a beer. We'll shake the square out of ya!"

They looked at each other and winced. Chappelle simply sat down beside Jack awkwardly as he slapped his back roughly.

"Why don't I buy you a drink? How about you come with me to the bar and tell me what you'd like?" Michelle said standing up, motioning to Chappelle.

He understood immediately and with a grateful look on his face he followed her to the bar as Tony moved around to sit beside Jack.

She ordered him a drink and they stood in an awkward silence not knowing what to say to each other.

"So I see you have struck up with Almeida." He said out of the blue.

Michelle felt the back of her neck begin to heat up.

"Well sir, Tony and I have been through a lot together and things pretty much just happened. I want you to know that it hasn't affected our work and we don't intend to let it."

"Well I want to tell you that although I can't stop you I think you're making a big mistake. You'll have a few rolls in the sack and then he'll move on, leaving your career and reputation in tatters. Have you really thought this through Michelle?"

She stood there stunned, unsure of how to respond to that. She glanced at Tony who could see something was happening that she didn't like.

She looked Chappelle straight in the face and said,

"Mr Chappelle, I wouldn't expect you to understand the feelings that Tony and I have for each other because quite frankly, I don't fully understand them yet either. But I do know that this is definitely not just a few rolls as you so crudely put it. We are completely in love and have been for some time as it turns out. You mentioned just now that you can't stop us. I think you should keep that in mind because no matter what it takes, after what we've just been through we are not going to sacrifice what we feel for our jobs and it is that simple. Enjoy your drink sir."

She walked away from the bar shaking slightly but completely proud of herself. It wasn't in her nature to talk that way to a superior but being with Tony had given her strength she never knew she had. The lights dimmed slightly and some slow music began to play. She sat back down as Tony laid Jack out along the seat of the booth they were in. He was mumbling incoherently.

"You know Tony; you're like my best friend. I really love you man. And I think that you and Michelle are just….wow. Totally hot stuff!"

Tony chuckled as Jack shut his eyes. Sitting back down beside Michelle he slid his arm around her and pulled her in close to him.

"What were you talking to Chappelle about?" He said with concern.

She smiled and kissed him softly.

"Dance with me and I'll tell you."

He smiled and took her hand, leading her past Chappelle and onto the dance floor. She smiled as a familiar song began to play.

Taking her in his arms he held her close as she leaned on him.

_Oh thinkin' about our younger years, _

_It was only you and me – we were young and wild and free_

_Now nothing can take you away from me_

_We've been down that road before – but that's over now_

_You keep me coming back for more._

_Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms_

_I'm finding it hard to believe we're in heaven_

She took a deep breath and told him everything that had been said between her and Chappelle.

"That guy is a Son of a Bitch. A few more beers and I'm taking him outside." He said sneering at him.

Michelle danced them around so he was facing the other way. Looking up at him seductively she whispered,

"No honey, a few more beers and you're taking me home, to bed."

He softened and held her tightly.

"On the other hand I'm so proud of you. Imagine that he thinks so little of me to believe I would just dump you like that. I can't believe how well you shut him down though; that's my girl!"

She laughed and smiled at him.

"Of course I shut him down. I can't have anybody talking shit about my boyfriend."

The end.

So that's it, nothing too heavy but I couldn't resist getting Jack drunk! He'd be the life and soul of the party! Please review!


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